merrill



Patented Sept. 27, H898. F. C. MERRILL PLDW.

(Appliatig led Aug. 27, 1897.)

(No Model.)

arrivi Erica.

FREEMAN C. MERRILL, OF PARIS, MAINE.

PLOW.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 611,456, datedSeptember 27, .1893. Application filed August 27,1897. Serial No.649,677. (No model.)

i To LZZ whom t mayconcern:

Be it known that I, FREEMAN C. MERRILL, a citizen of the United States,residingat Paris, in the county of Oxford and State of Maine, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Plows and I do herebydeclare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description ofthe invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to swivel or reversible plows; and it consists in anovel devicefor locking or fastening the moldboard to the standard whenthrown from side to side.

It consists in an arm with a barbed or harpoon point in conjunction withmeans on the moldboard for receiving said point and means for rotatingthe arm in connection with means whereby the arm is held in contact withthe inoldboard by force of gravity. A

The mechanism in which I have embodied my invention is shown in` thedrawings, in which- Figure lis a side elevation of a plow with myimprovement attached. Fig. 2 is an end view of the same. Fig. 3 is anend view of the plow with the moldboard locked on the side opposite tothat it occupies in Fig.` 2. Fig. 4L is a detail in perspective of thelocking device.

The frame is of the ordinary construction, a being the beam, b thehandles, and p the standard. c, the swivel or reversible moldboard, maybe of the usual construction. Upon the inner surface of it, however,near the upper and lower edges, respectively, I place the loops d d (seeFigs. 2 and 3) to receive the locking or fastening device. An inclinedplate e is secured to the upper surface of the handles b b. This plateis shown in Fig. 4 in perspective. At the lower corners it is providedwith studs f f. Centrally it has an aperture or opening g. In thisopenin g is placed the rod h, which has somewhat above the middle of itslength an odset or angle vl of sufficient length to engage each of thestuds ff. Below the plate e is a plate lo, secured to the frame. In theplate 7s is an opening Z, which is vertically belowthe opening g. Intothis opening lis inserted the lower part of the rod 77.. Connected withthe rod h above the plate lo is the arm m. Its shape is shown in Fig. 4.I I prefer to connect it to the rod h by means of an opening in the arm'm surrounding the rod 7i, to which the arm is fixed by means of thescrew n', which may be .a bolt passing through holes in the arm and rodor a set-screw. Vhen fixed in position by the screw n, the arm m shouldbe in the same plane as the offset i). The point at which the arm m isfixed to the rod g should be such that in no position which may beassumed by the rod will the arm m come into contact with or rest uponthe plate 7o. The point of the arm is, as already shown,liarpoon-shapedthat is, barbed upon the sides--and it is also beveledupon `the top from the point back ward nearly to the barbs.

The operation of the device described is as follows: Theswivel-moldboard being in position on one side the standard p, assume itis -desired, at the end of a furrow, for instance,

to reverseit, the rod 77. is turned toward the handles of the plow Sthusdisconnecting the arm fm from the loop until the offset rests againstthe stud f, which is on the side opposite that on which is themoldboard. The plow is then thrown over, bringing the mold board intoposition on the opposite side. J ust before its forward end comes incontact with the standard p the forward barb of the arm m engages withthe upper loop d and is held constantly up to the loop by its weight,which is supported by the oifset of the rod resting on the inclinedplane of the plate c. The moldboard is thus held in place by the arm muntil again unlocked by turning the rod 7L, as before described. Whenthe arm m is engaged'with the loop d, thus locking the moldboard, theoffset of the rod h is not in contact with the stud f, but rests againstthe incline a slight distance in rear of the stud, allowing the fullweight of the arm m to rest against the loop and keeping it rmly inplace while the plow is in use. It is apparent that the office of thestuds f f is to hold the arm m in proper position to engage the loops.

It should be stated that the point of the arm m should have a curvedseat on either side in the rear of the barb, as shown in thedrawings,the better to receive the projections on the moldboard.

As indicated, I do not confine myself to the IOO construction shown. Thedevice maybe Varied in details, as is readily seen. For instance, theloops on the board may be replaced by other devices, as also the offsetor angle z', or the inclined plane may be other- Wise applied.

What I claim isl. In combination With a swivel-plow, loops upon theupper and lower edges of the moldboard, an arm suited to engage and holdeither of said loops, a rod fixed to said arm, an offset upon said rodand an inclined plane having studs at the lower corners thereof,substantially as described.

2. In combination with a swivel-plow an arm With barbed end fixed to arod having an offset resting upon an inclined plane, substantially asdescribed.

3. The combination of the moldboard, the

loops upon the upper and lower edges thereof, the barbed arm and rodWith offsets, and the inclined plane With stops at its base,substantially as described.

4. In combination With a swivel-plow an arm With barbed end xed to a rodhaving an offset resting upon an inclined plane whereby the Weight ofsaid arm upon said inclined plane causes the barbed end of said arm toengage With the loop on the moldboard, thus holding it iirmly in place,substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have hereuntoset my hand this 21st day of August, A. D. 1897.

FREEMAN C. MERRILL.

In presence 0f- GEo. E. BIRD, A. C. BERRY.

